Japanese Lawmaker Pressed to Resign over War Gaffe

Tokyo, May 15 (Jiji Press)--Pressure is mounting on former Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) member Hodaka Maruyama to resign as a lawmaker over his recent suggestion that Japan should take back four Russian-held islands by war.

At a meeting of their parliamentary affairs chiefs on Wednesday, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and other opposition parties agreed to seek a House of Representatives resolution to advise Maruyama to resign from the Lower House.

Nippon Ishin, which expelled Maruyama on Tuesday over the war gaffe, decided at an executive meeting on Wednesday to back the envisioned resolution although it would have no binding force.

On Twitter on Wednesday, Maruyama criticized the move by the Diet, the country's parliament, and said, "I will fulfill my term of office, regardless of whether the resolution is passed or not."

"The existence of such a lawmaker is a dishonor for Japan," CDPJ Secretary-General Tetsuro Fukuyama said at a party meeting. "He should resign as a lawmaker, and he should understand the situation."